Scenarios of technical and technological development of
the hard coal mining industry

A realization of the foresight project entitled: “Scenarios of technical and technological development of the hard coal mining industry”, financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, within Action 1.4 of the Sectoral Operational Programme  - Increase of Competitiveness of Enterprises, years 2004 – 2006, started on 1st July 2006. Strengthening a collaboration between the research and development sector and the economy.

The project will be finished on 30th June 2008. It is coordinated by the GIG – Central Mining Institute in Katowice.
Its participants are as follows:

• AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow,
• Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute in Cracow,
• Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice,
• EMAG Automation and Safety Systems in Katowice,
• KOMAG Mining Mechanization Centre in Gliwice.

The project objective is a determination of scenarios of a technical and technological development as well as functioning of the hard coal mining industry in the condition of sustainable development. The technologies of hard coal winning and processing as well as forecasts of their development trends till the year 2020 will be monitored.

The project assumptions include:

• a demand of Poland, European Union and other markets for raw materials till the year 2020,
• hard coal resources according to the present and forecasted assessments,
• conditions of the sustainable development of the minerals winning industry until the year 2020,
• present technical and technological conditions of hard coal winning and processing industry,
• competitiveness of foreign producers.

One of the project results will be a creation of the data bank about selected technologies, possibilities of their development and about their effectiveness as well as about personal data of expert groups. The final stage of the project will include a preparation of a report, containing among others:

• a description of scenarios of hard coal mining technologies,
• presentations of monitoring principles of hard coal mining technologies development, a periodic verification of developed scenarios,
• suggestions of communication forms with decision-makers to transfer information about the results of the verification procedures.